


Lips Like Gravity

by keenquing



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 03:29:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keenquing/pseuds/keenquing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most women wouldn't think to ask Rumplestiltskin to help them with their makeup.  But then again, Belle's never been like most women.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lips Like Gravity

It was Belle's idea, of course. What with their first date having come to a very abrupt and awkward end, and the ordeal of getting the Savior back while keeping Cora out, Gold had felt more than a bit apprehensive about trying again.

So, as she often did, Belle took matters into her own hands. Just as he was getting ready to close up the shop for the evening, Gold heard the ringing that signaled the door opening--but it wasn't accompanied by the sharp slamming of the hinges that usually meant the entry of one of the royal family or any number of irate citizens come in search of long lost treasures. There were only two people who usually entered his shop with that sort of care; and he was quite certain Emma wouldn't be letting Henry out of her sight any time soon. Which was why, instead of the snarled reminder that he was closing up that he'd have given most who arrived at this time of night, Gold stepped out of the back room with a tentative smile.

"Belle? This is a pleasant surprise."

She giggled, ducking her head a bit--gods, did she know what that _did_ to him?--as she walked up to the counter. "Yes, well, I ah..." she set her purse up next to the cash register, biting her lip as she began to rifle through it. "Ruby was telling me, the other day, about the way she used to dress before the curse broke."

Gold couldn't help raising an eyebrow at _that_ , wondering just where Belle was going with this particular train of thought. While the wolf girl's clothes suited her just fine, he couldn't imagine any of those things on his Belle. And, indeed, she was dressed just as ever tonight--a green-and-black plaid dress, hitting just above her knees, and matching heels. Nothing that spoke to Ruby's influence at all. "And, ah, why did that come up, may I ask?"

At that, Belle's cheeks coloured a bit, "Well, she has a date tonight. And she was telling me what she planned to wear, and she was thinking about dressing--something like she used to, I suppose."

While Gold tried to think about which of her numerous suitors of their cursed lives Ruby might be entertaining tonight, Belle's delicate fingers finally left the depths of her purse, "And she mentioned--well, this," she said, a little timidly, "and I got curious."

Just as he was about to make a cheeky remark about her constant-curiosity, Gold noticed the black cylinder Belle was now holding between her fingers. He bit back a chuckle, but did smirk at her. "Lipstick? Is that all? Sweetheart, you had me worried for a moment there. You do know the sort of--ah, woman, Miss Lucas was under the curse, don't you?"

 _That_ earned him an eyeroll and a playful swat. "Of course I do, you silly man. She _is_ my best friend, after all," Belle smiled a bit, at that, and Gold remembered how she'd told him, back in their old lives, that she'd never had many close friends. It almost made him feel a little bad for ragging on Ruby. Almost.

"It's just," Belle said, leaning forward to place her elbows on the counter, "I'd never really used anything like this before. Back home..." she sighed, "well, I told you how much everyone always made of my looks."

Gold nodded, remembering well how--the first time he'd caught her in his library, dusting neglected in favour of a book of poetry--she'd stammered out that everyone in her small village had always thought it such a shame that she was so pretty but no one ever saw much besides a bit of hair peeking over the pages. That general disapproval had, apparently, extended to her former fiancé--just one of many reasons he still didn't feel at all bad for turning the boy into a rose.

"Well," Belle continued, idly running her thumb against the base of the tube, "all that made me--not _hate_ how I looked, exactly but...I didn't want people to notice it, so much, if I could help it. So, I never really made myself up, much, if I didn't have to. I _wanted_ to, sometimes, but..." she huffed. "It wasn't worth putting up with all that extra fussing."

While he couldn't understand precisely, Gold could understand being unable to blend in because of some _thing_ that made you stand out, no matter how much you wished not to. His hand flexed reflexively against the handle of his cane, fighting back a whole different set of memories from Belle's. Then, he cleared his throat, smiling back at her.

"So, why now, then? I don't suppose you've a sudden, insatiable desire to stand out and attract all that unsavory attention again?" His tone was light, but there was always that part of him that would tense up at that thought--that Belle might have realized she did deserve far better than a lame coward and wanted to go looking.

Blessedly, Belle shook her head, "No, of course not. I had enough of that to last me _several_ lifetimes, thank you. It's just..." she smiled; a small smile, to be sure, but one that still lit her whole face. "Well, _now_ , instead of pretty useless boys who only see me as another pretty, useless thing to hang off their arm..." she stood up straight, then, and walked around the counter to stand by him. Without warning, she grabbed his tie, pulling him close with one hand while keeping the lipstick in the other. "I've got you."

The unexpected proximity, coupled with her words, made his heart hammer in his throat. He coughed, trying to clear his head enough to think of words and not her perfect, delicate fingers wrapped around the slik of his tie. "And ah, what does any of that have to do with you being here with that?" he glanced down at the tube she was rolling between her fingers, still.

"Hmm? Oh!" she flashed him an even more dazzling smile, bouncing back on her heels. "Well, I forgot to go to the drugstore until this afternoon, and since Ruby has her date tonight..." she bit her lip, holding the tube up again. "I thought you might be able to help me put it on, at least the first time? You ah..." her fingers stroked his tie, tips lingering over the tie bar, "you always did have a good hand and an eye for details."

This time, Gold couldn't hold back a short, warm chuckle. "I believe that could be arranged," he said, taking the tube from her, fingers lingering against hers just a few moments longer than was absolutely necessary. "Could you get that light?"

With a little giggle, Belle nodded and practically skipped back around the counter, switching on a lamp before coming back to him. He shook his head, smiling at her exuberance. "Good. Now, sit there, and turn your head up a bit."

He'd rarely known Belle to be particularly obedient, but she did just as he asked, nearly buzzing the whole time. He wondered, as he uncapped the tube, just how long she'd been thinking about this. Twisting the cosmetic up and holding it to the light, Gold frowned, "You know, darling, this really isn't your colour."

"Well, then," she said, with a pointed look, "you'll just have to come with me to pick out a better one some day, won't you?"

He really shouldn't have been taken aback by Belle's boldness anymore, but he still couldn't help shaking his head at the fact that she could so easily ask him--the all-feared _Dark One_ \--to help her find the right shade of lipstick.

"I suppose I will," he said, gently, knowing there was no point in arguing--especially not when he found he _wanted_ to do this for her. Let the townspeople say what they would if they saw--it wasn't as if their tongues didn't wag about him near-constantly as it was. "Now," he grinned wickedly, "let's see how wretched this truly looks, shall we?"

Belle shook her head, snorting a little, before she sat back and pouted her lips so the most feared man in town could paint them.


End file.
